Nuneaton drink driver jailed for killing passenger in crash
Bannister was also banned from driving for five years. Det Con Sam Bates from Warwickshire Police said: "Chloe Bannister's irresponsible and reckless actions on the night of the collision have left a family heartbroken with the loss of their son, brother and uncle."
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
‘It was the wrong thing to do to me' – Darts player who was punched by disgraced pro star speaks out for first time
THE DARTS player who was punched by Adam Smith-Neale has spoken out about being attacked for the first time. Smith-Neale was banned for eights months in March 2024 for smacking amateur Sam Whittaker in the face after he beat him at the Nuneaton Darts Open in Warwickshire. 3 3 3 Following his suspension, Smith-Neale claims he whacked his rival after he 'threatened' his mum during the match and made a 'derogatory comment under his breath' following his victory. But Whittaker, 40, has dismissed these claims, saying he never threatened his mum or insulted him at the event and that he believes he only punched him because he is a 'sore loser'. He claimed Smith-Neale, known as Big Dog, bragged to people at the tournament he was going to beat him badly and couldn't take it when he lost. Whittaker said: 'He doesn't like it because he lost. Before we started playing, he told everyone he was going to smash me. 'It was the wrong thing to do to me because when I am on my game I can beat anyone. 'He was going round the room saying he was going to beat me, and when he lost he didn't like it. He probably did it because he knows I can beat him.' He alleged Smith-Neale lightly kicked him in the back of his heel as he was about to throw darts several times during the match, saying he 'kept coming up behind me as I was about to take the shot and clipped me.' Whittaker claims when he asked him to stop his mum 'shouted her mouth off' and told him 'he was in the wrong' and he was 'nothing'. He added that the only interaction he had with her mum was to ask her 'I am in the wrong?' after she berated him, adding he 'made no threats to her'. Whittaker said Smith-Neale, who lost his professional status due to inactivity, punched him when he tried to shake his hand at the end of the match. Whittaker revealed that the punch didn't hurt him and he then told his rival that 'my mum can hit harder than that' after he attacked him. He claims Smith-Neale then said "come on then" and tried to square up to him before the landlord of the pub pushed him away. Whittaker also claimed the pair previously played in an amateur darts team which represented the Queens Head pub in Tamworth. He said Smith-Neale announced in the team's Facebook group chat in 2015 that he was leaving it because he wanted to play Super League darts. Whittaker wished him good luck with his new career in the chat, so he was left baffled after Smith-Neale had threatened him and the club captain by telling them he was going to 'punch them up'. He said he was shocked by his remark as he and the captain had previously got on well with the former pro. Whittaker said Smith-Neale can often be volatile and unpredictable, saying: 'He is just very up and down, he can be very friendly and then he can turn on you the next minute. 'He is just not a very nice person, he is always bragging and arrogant and claiming he is better than other players. It is good to have confidence but you do not need to have arrogance with it. He is just trying to ridicule people.' Discussing the altercation in an interview with Darts World magazine, the 2018 BDO World Masters champion, Smith-Neale said: 'It was on a Saturday afternoon in a local near where I live in Nuneaton. 'There was a bit of needle and he made threats towards me which plenty of people heard. 'Then my mum got involved and he had a go back at her, making threats also. 'It was kind of decided between us that we would sort things out after the match.' Asked by Darts World if he regretted his actions, Smith-Neale replied: 'If someone threatens my family, I would do the same thing again.' Smith-Neale's DRA suspension was backdated to March 12, 2024 – the date of his initial ban - and lifted on November 12 last year. The Coventry-thrower has returned to television screens this week with appearances on the MODUS Super Series in Portsmouth, which is on Pluto TV.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Two Afghan asylum seekers have been charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in quiet Warwickshire town
Two Afghan asylum seekers have been charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl, which has left a small Midlands town reeling in shock, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, has been charged with the rape of the underage girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. A second man, Mohammad Kabir, also 23, has been charged with aiding and abetting rape, as well as strangulation and kidnap of the girl, who is now receiving specialist care. Despite the huge interest the incident has caused in Nuneaton, sources have told the Mail on Sunday that Warwickshire Police advised local councillors and officials not to reveal the asylum seeker background of the two suspects, for fear of 'inflaming community tensions'. One local who contacted us accused the police of a 'cover-up', in an effort to suppress information which the public have a right to know. He said police feared Nuneaton would face similar violent protests that took place outside a migrant hotel in Epping, Essex, last month, after it emerged an asylum seeker staying there was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. The source said: 'They're hushing it up because they don't want an Epping situation on their hands.' But last night, Warwickshire Police defended its position, saying in a statement: 'Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings.' Mulakhil, who crossed the Channel on a small boat, allegedly raped the victim in the Cheverel Street of Nuneaton, between 8.30 – 9.45pm on Tuesday, July 22. The MoS has obtained CCTV footage from a resident's house near Cheverel Road which appears to show a man walking with the girl, who is white. The chilling footage was captured as the pair walked past the property at 8pm, around half-an-hour before the victim was allegedly subjected to the horrific assault. Warwickshire Police said Mulakhil was arrested four days after the incident last Saturday, and charged the following day. He appeared before Coventry Magistrates Court on Monday charged with two counts of vaginal and oral rape of the victim. Mulakhil has been remanded in custody to appear before Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Kabir was arrested on Thursday, and charged with aiding and abetting rape of the 12-year-old, as well as strangulation and kidnap. He appeared before Coventry Magistrates Court yesterday (sat), and was remanded in custody until his appearance before Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Warwickshire Police said in a statement: 'At this stage, we do not believe there to be anyone else involved but we continue to appeal for witnesses who were in the Cheverel Street area between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Tuesday 22 July and who saw anything of interest to please come forward.' Inquiries by the MoS in Nuneaton revealed that both Mulakhil and Kabir lived in two rented houses of multiple occupation (HMO) about 70 yards from each other on adjoining streets. Both properties are managed by Serco, which has accommodated around five asylum seekers in each house. Serco has a £1.9billion contract with the Home Office to house asylum seekers across the country. When the MoS contacted the owner of the property Mulakhil lived in, she said she was 'sickened to the stomach' when hearing about the incident. She said: 'I don't know anything because Serco manage the house completely.' When we asked Serco if they were aware of Mulakhil and Kabir, the company said in a statement: 'We do not confirm individual addresses, nor the names of people in properties we manage.' Gorwan Muhammad Ali, 27, an Iraqi Kurd who lives in the same house as Kabir, said: 'I have not seen Kabir for a few days. The police have come round the house. Kabir came to this country to work.' Ali added that all residents in the house get their bills paid by Serco, and are given £49 per week as spending money. Last night, councillors from the Tory party, as well as Labour and Reform – which controls Warwickshire County Council – said they did not know much about the incident, despite the huge interest. They blamed the police for not sharing any information with them. But a source told the MoS certain councillors and officials were informed by the police about the incident, and were advised not to reveal to the public that the two assailants were asylum seekers. The source said police feared the revelation could cause tensions in the community. The man, who did not want to be identified, said: 'It is horrific what's happened. But even though the police have done door-to-door enquiries and put out an announcement about the rape charge, they are refusing to say the details of who they are investigating or their background.' Last night, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, which runs Warwickshire County Council, said: 'I am afraid, police and elected officials are acting against the British people.' Warwickshire Police said in their statement: 'We work to hold offenders to account and will always do everything in our power to present a robust case to the courts and protect the integrity of court proceedings. 'Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status. 'As our investigation progresses, the victim remains at the forefront of our focus, and we will continue to work with our partners – providing updates and working alongside the people of Nuneaton.' In recent months, other asylum seekers living in tax-payer-funded accommodation have been charged with serious sexual offences across the country. In some cases, local politicians have accused their council and the police of a 'cover-up', by trying to keep incidents secret, for fear they will inflame community tensions.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Fraudster used Bromsgrove firm's credit cards on Disney trips
A financial director has been jailed after using company credit cards to buy himself expensive gadgets and trips to Walt Disney World - fraud that left the firm in major difficulty, "impacting the jobs of fellow employees".Over a period of eight years, David Carr lived a lavish lifestyle by funneling £300,000 from the Bromsgrove-based IT company he worked for, causing it to fall into administration, West Mercia Police 32-year-old of St. Laurence Way in Alcester, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by abuse of position of trust between April 2014 and August Worcester Crown Court on 25 July, he was sentenced to four years and seven months in prison. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing is set to take place following the James Hall of West Mercia Police said: "We are pleased to get this custodial sentence for Carr who abused his position of trust as the financial director of a company to fund a luxury lifestyle well beyond his means."Carr's eight years of stealing company money also led to the firm he worked for going into administration, impacting the jobs of fellow employees too." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
